A federal judge denied a motion made by a former Department of Justice official to move his case in the Georgia election indictment to federal court.
Jeffrey Clark is one of 19 defendants, including former President Donald Trump, to be indicted in a 98-page document handed up in August.
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Attorneys for Clark argue that he was acting within the scope of his official duties when he helped Trump try to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ruled that Clark’s case will remain in Fulton County Superior Court.
“This Order’s sole determination is that there is no federal jurisdiction over the criminal case. The outcome of this case will be before a Fulton County judge and trier of fact to ultimately decide,” U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones wrote in his conclusion.
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Clark was one of several defendants who tried to move their case to federal court. Earlier this month, Jones rejected former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’ request.
Trump previously advised the Fulton County Superior Court that he may file a motion seeking to move the trial to federal court. His attorneys have now filed a document saying he will not seek to move the trial.
“This decision is based on his well-founded confidence that this Honorable Court intends to fully and completely protect his constitutional right to a fair trial and guarantee him due process of law throughout the prosecution of his case in the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia,” it reads.
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